Timing device



'May 16, 1944. l. s. BoEHM 348,722

TIMING DEVICE vFiled Dec. 2s. 1939 :sk sheetssheet 1 May 16, 1944. l. G. Bol-:HM 2,348,722

I TIMING DEVICE Filed Dec. 2e, 1939 l s sheets-'sheet 2 May 16, 194.4.

l. G. BoEHM v v TIMING DEVICEv Filed Deo. 26, 1939 s sheets-sheet s QW/N 6. .50E/9M Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE (Granted under the fact of Maren 3, 1883, es

amended Aprilv 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 7 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufacturedand used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a timing and switching device to be used in connection with bombreleasing mechanism for controlling the interval of release of bombs.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with a bomb-releasing mechanism in which bombs are released by repeated action of a solenoid. Such a bomb-releasing mecha-` nism is illustrated in Patent No. 1,980,375, al`

though it is to be understood that the device is adapted to be used with other types of electrically--energized bomb-releasing mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for establishing the interval of release of bombs.

It is another object of this invention to pro-vide a device for establishing the period of dwell between operations of electrically-energized bombreleasing mechanism.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device for establishing a selected period of dwell between operations of electrically-energized bomb-releasing mechanism.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of one formy of the device.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional plan View taken generally along the lines 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken 'along the lines 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the" lines 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a modified vform of the device taken generally along the lines 9 6 0f Fig. '7.

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the the embodiment of' the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 through 5, the release-controlling mechanism is contained within casing I and comprises a constant-speed motor 2, the drive shaft of which has connected thereto a gear 3 meshing with gear 4 mounted on a squared portion off shaft 5. are a series of different-'sized gears 'I through Il.

Fastened to shaft 5 to rotate therewith' Freelyrotatably mounted-0n shaft 5 are a series of brackets, all of which are numbered 29, since they are identical in construction except for slightV diierences in size. Each bracket 29 carries a gear in meshing engagement with one of the gears 'l through Il. Thel bracket-carried gears are numbered I8 through 28 and are of Various sizes. Shaft 49 has mounted thereon to rotate therewith a series of different-sized gears numbered 4| through 5|. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each gear in the sequence I8 through 28 is in alignment with and adapted to mesh with a gear in the sequence 4I through 5I for the purpose of driving shaft 4|) at a desired speed. Gears I8 through 23 are constantly urged into meshing engagement with their corresponding gears by springs 39, one of which is connected at one end to the lower end of each bracket 29 and `at the other end to the casing. As shown in Fig. 3, gear 24 is held out of meshing engagement with its corresponding gear 41 by a tongue 3| on bracket 29 engaging cam 6l. Cam 61 is provided with a recessed portion 'I8 for the tongue 3| to drop into, permitting rotation of bracket 29 and' gear 24 under the action of spring 30 about shaft 5 into meshing engagement with gear 41. Each of the gear-carrying brackets 29 is provided with a similar tongue 3|. Cam Slis mounted on shaft 'l2 to rotate therewith along'with cams 6I through 56 and 68 through 1|, which lcooperate with the brackets carryingv gears I8 through 23 and 25 through 28. Cams 6I through 66 and through 7| are each provided with a recess similar to re` cam member t3 formed of non-conducting ma terial except 4for a metallic electrical contact disk S5 and a metal cam portion 84 electrically connected with the contact disk. Contact member 8S, carried by insulating block S1, sweeps against disk to establish electrical contact therewith.

Slidably mounted in block 87 is a plunger member 89 pressed into engagement with metal cam portion 84 by electrical conducting spring 9B. Member 89 is electrically connected by spring 99 and conductor 9| to lead wire 92; Lead wires 88 and 92 extend to connections 93 and 94 to enable the device to be connected in circuit with a. source of electrical energy and a solenoid-operated bomb-releasing mechanism such as described in Patent 1,980,375. Contacts 95 and 96 are for the purpose of connecting motor 2 to a source of electrical energy.

Dial |90, suitably attached to knob 82, has indicia thereon representing bomb spacing in feet, alignable with indicia on the casing representing ground speed in miles per hour. Setting dial 82 at a selected bomb-dropping interval brings into mesh a combination of gears for rotating shaft 12 and the make-and-break contactor at a speed which releases the bombs at the desired spacing.

The operation of the embodiment of the invention described above is as follows:

Constant-speed motor 2 is put into operation by operating a suitable switch (not shown) in the circuit'which'connects the motor to a source of electrical energy. Knob 82 is rotated to the desired bomb-spacingv for the speed of the plane, the tongue 3| of bracket 29, carrying the gear for producing the desired interval of bomb release, being urged into the notch of one of the cam or notched disk members carried on shaft 12. Shaft 40, rotor 83, make-and-break contactor 86, 8S, and the bomb-releasing solenoid connected therewith are operated at a rate to release the bombs at the predetermined interval.

Referring to the second embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 6, '7, and 8, a housing contains a constant-speed motor |02 drivingly connected by gears |03 and |04 to shaft |05 having gears |06 through |09 fixed thereto. Gear |06 meshes with gear I2 freely rotatably mounted on shaft Fastened to gear ||2 to rotate therewith is a cam member ||0. Similarly, gear |01 meshes With gear |3 having cam member |4 integral therewith; gear |08 meshes with gear ||6 having cam member ||5 integral therewith; and gear |09 meshes with gear ||1 having cam member ||8 integral therewith. Each gear and cam combination is freely rotatably mounted on shaft and is held in spaced relation by spacer sleeves, as shown in Fig. 6.

Associated with each cam is a make-and-break contacter or switch. The switch shown in side elevationin Fig. 7 will be described in detail, it being understood that the other three switches arel identical in construction.

Referring to Fig. 7, xed contact |22 is mounted on a block |9. Movable contact member |26 is mounted on a block |728 Vand is adapted to be moved intovcontact with member |22 by cam H5. Contact member |26 springs out of engagement with contact |22 when the portion |29 thereof drops into cut-out portion |30 of the cam. It is to be understood that cams H0, |I4, and ||8 are also provided with cut-out portions. Similarly, contacts |24, |25, and |21, as shown in Fig. 8, are movableV into engagement with contacts |20, |21, and |23, respectively, by cams ||0, ||4, and H8. Contacts |24 through |21 are electrically connected by leads |30 through |33 to switches |34 through |31, respectively. Switches |34 through |31 are electrically connected to a solenoid operating a bomb rack of the type as shown in Patent 1,980,375.

The operation of the second embodiment of the invention is as follows:

The constant-speed motor drives shaft which, through the medium of the gears, drives the contact-operating cams at different rates of speed. The switch selected for the release interval or bomb-spacing desired is turned on and the remaining switches turned off.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the device without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for establishing the interval cf release of bomb-dropping mechanism adapted to release a bomb upon each energization of electrical means, comprising a make-and-break contactor, means for operating said make-and-break contactor, constant-speed driving means, a shaft cperatively connected to said driving means to be rotated thereby, a plurality of varied-sized gears carried by said shaft, a plurality of brackets freely rotatably carried by said shaft, a gear rotatably carried by each bracket in meshing engagement with one of said shaft-carried gears, a shaft rotatably carrying said make-and-break-contactoroperating means, a plurality of varied-sized gears carried by said last-named shaft, and means for `selectively moving said brackets t0 bring a bracket-carried gear into mesh with a gear carried by said last-named shaft.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, in which said selective moving means comprises means constantly urging said brackets'into gear-meshing position, a tongue on each bracket, and a disk operatively associated with each tongue for holding said brackets out of gear-meshing position, each of said disks having a notch in the periphery thereof for the reception of one of said tongues to permit movement of one of said brackets into gear-meshing position, said notches and tongues being staggered so that only one tongue is received in its corresponding recess at one time.

3. In combination, constant-speed driving means; a shaft operatively connected to said driving means; gear means connected to said shaft to rotate therewith; Va plurality of brackets freely rotatably mounted on said shaft; a gear rotatably carried by each bracket, said bracketcarried gears being of different sizes; a makeland-break contacter mechanism; a cam for actuating the same; a rotatably-mounted cam shaft with which said cam is integral; gear means integral with said cam shaft; and means for moving a selected bracket-carried gear into operative engagement with said gear means.

`4. In combination, a constant speed driving means and a shaft driven thereby, a plurality of variable-sized gears integral with said shaft to rotate therewith, a plurality of brackets freely rotatably mounted on said shaft, a gear carried by each of said brackets in mesh with one of said bracket-carried gears, said bracket-carried gears being of different sizes, a make-and-break contactor mechanism, a cam for actuating the same, a rotatably mounted cam shaft with which said cam is integral, a gear means integral with said cam shaft, and means for moving a selected bracket-carried gear into operative engagement with said gear means.

5. In combination, a constant speed driving means and a shaft driven thereby, a plurality of variable-sized gears integral with said shaft to rotate therewith, a plurality of brackets freely rotatably mounted on said shaft, a gear carried by each of said brackets in mesh with one of said bracket-carried gears, said bracket-carried gears being of different sizes, a make-and-break ccntactor mechanism including a rotatable member and gear means integral therewith, and moans for moving a selected bracket-carried gear into operative engagement with said gear means.

6. In combination, a constant speed driving means and a shaft driven thereby, a plurality of variable-sized gears integral with said shaft to rotate therewith, a plurality of brackets freely rotatably mounted on said shaft, a, gear carried by each of said brackets in mesh with one of said bracket-carried gears, said bracket-carried gears being of diierent sizes, a make-and-break contacter mechanism including a rotatable member and gear means integral therewith, and means for bringing a particular bracket-carried gear into meshing engagement with said gear means including a rotatably mounted notched disk operatively associated with each of said brackets, each of said brackets having an integral projecting portion receivable in the notched portion of said disk When said bracket-carried gear and said gear means are in mesh.

Afor receiving their corresponding projections, and

a shaft on which said disks are mounted with their projection-receiving openings in staggered relation.

IRWIN GEO. BOEHM. 

